The Beginning of the End
by Tora II
Summary: “Do you know why a Sanzo priest wears his sutra on his shoulders?” His tone was casual and he felt detached from everything but the last lesson he would impart upon the boy who was his son in all things but blood." Twoshot T for blood and violence
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This ficlet was inspired by something Ukoku (Dr. Nii) said in vol. 9 of Saiyuki Reload: "...then his fatherly mentor, Koumyou Sanzo, was attacked by youkai assassins and died of his own volition...Koumyou died for you." (this isn't the whole speech, but it's the gist of it.) I've always wondered about Koumyou's thoughts in his last moments, and this is what I think happened. I hope you enjoy it!

Beginning of the End

Koumyou Sanzo leaned back in the shade of the Japanese maple and blew a plume of smoke into the cloud-smattered sky. The tobacco, normally a comfort, was bitter today. He stared off across the courtyard at the golden haired boy sweeping leaves from the paths. He felt the warm glow of pride in his chest, while at the same time his throat constricted in regret.

Kouryuu was a strong boy; quick-witted, sharp-tongued, and intelligent. But for all that he tried to deny it (even to himself); Koumyou knew he was also so very fragile. He felt things strongly and hid it behind those hard amethyst eyes and a quick temper. When Koumyou plucked the infant from the river he'd known that he would care for the child. He would raise him to be his successor, but he had not expected to love boy as his son.

He had not expected to become so attached. It pained him to think of the burden he would soon place upon young Kouryuu's small shoulders. The life of a Sanzo priest had never been an easy one, but with the stirrings in the West, it was becoming even more hazardous. Then there was the matter of the ascension of the disciple over his master. Koumyou wasn't sure he could bear to put his young Kouryuu through such pain.

He would worry about that later, he decided. For now, he would name Kouryuu as his disciple and start training him in the ways of a Sanzo priest. He hoped that it would be years yet before he had to worry about turning over the sutras to Kouryuu. Though, with that thought, he had a strange feeling of foreboding that sent a shiver up his spine.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that night he sent for Kouryuu and tried to suppress that feeling of apprehension that had grown steadily worse as the day went on. He wanted to blame it on the storm breaking outside, but he knew that it was not the cause. Something was coming.

"Master?" Kouryuu's voice came through the paper-screened door, polite but curious, perhaps even a little worried.

"Come in, Kouryuu," he called. As the boy entered, Koumyou lifted the sutras from his shoulders. They shifted in his hands to their scroll forms. He set them on the mat before him and gestured for Kouryuu to take a seat opposite him.

The sky opened up then, and the rain came in a heavy, muffled roar on the wooden roof. Lightning flickered outside the windows, followed by a crash of thunder. Koumyou pretended not to see the tiny flinch of surprise that crossed Kouryuu's face. The boy had never been fond of thunder.

"It's quite a strong storm tonight, isn't it?" Koumyou commented, turning to watch the lightning play outside the window and the trees waving in the wind. "I imagine there will be quite a bit of clean up in the morning."

Kouryuu made a derisive noise, "I'll be stuck sweeping again, I'm sure," he grumbled.

Koumyou chuckled a little at the petulance in the boy's voice. "It's quite troublesome, hmm? But think of how nice the temple looks with such clean paths."

Kouryuu averted his eyes to the sutras between them, hiding embarassment. "Whatever. What did you need me for, master?"

"Aah," Koumyou's face turned serious. "What do you know of the Tenchi Kaigen sutras?"

Kouryuu looked back up at him, violet eyes questioning and suspicious. "They're supposed to have been used to create the world," he replied. "And are guarded by the Sanzo priests, who act in different regions. Most priests only have one, but you have two, and I heard the head priest say that you were the youngest Sanzo before that creepy guy was appointed."

Koumyou didn't bother to hide his amusement. Doubtless, Ukoku would take offense to being called "that creepy guy," or perhaps not. Ukoku was oddly mercurial and might even be proud of such a name.

"Indeed, but I am no longer young, Kouryuu. In truth, I should have started training my successor years ago."

"It's not like you have a shortage of monks around here," Kouryuu pointed out. "So why didn't you?" The suspicion in the boy's eyes was even more obvious now, as well as confusion.

"Aah, I was waiting for the right time, I suppose. But I don't think there is ever a right time for such things. So I won't be putting it off for any longer. I'm sure you've begun to suspect why I called you here, then?"

Kouryuu nodded slowly, apprehensive and doubtful. "Master, I don't - -."

"I've known since the day I heard your voice that you would be my successor, Kouryuu. I had hoped for you to be a little older before I had to make it official, but it seems that time is against me in this."

Kouryuu opened his mouth to ask what he meant, but Koumyou held up a hand for silence.

"I will explain it all in time. For now, we will begin your training."

Koumyou pointed to the sutra on his right. "The Seiten Sutra rules over "sanctity" and "yang". It has the power to create light, illumination."

Kouryuu had a feeling that his master didn't mean "light" in the sense of candles and lamps.

Koumyou pointed to the other. "While the Maten Sutra rules over "evil" and "yin". It has to power to repel such things or to bind them. Can you guess why, of all the sutras, these two are kept together?"

Kouryuu studied both the sutras carefully before meeting his master's eyes. "Balance," he replied. "They keep each other in check. Yin and Yang can't exist without the other."

Koumyou smiled and felt that familiar warmth of pride in his chest. "Indeed. That's it exactly."

"Now to use the sutras," Koumyou rose and went to the small chest he kept at the foot of his futon. "These are the scrolls that I learned from, and my master before me, and his master before him," Koumyou bent to lift the chest then froze, there was the heavy darkness of killing intent surrounding the temple. He rose and turned to the door, tense. There was the loud crash of wood splintering and a surprised shout that was quickly silenced.

Kouryuu frowned, and rose to face the door. "What the--?"

There were more shouts, screams, crashes and the distinct shing of blades. Someone was shouting an incantation. Kouryuu rushed towards the door but Koumyou grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

Koumyou's mind was racing. He could hear the shouts getting closer and could make out some of the words. Whoever was in the temple was searching for the Tenchi Kaigen sutras. If they were vicious enough to attack a temple with such force, it was a fair bet that they would not leave until they had what they were looking for. If they were minor players, lackeys, then they would only be searching for one sutra, very few people outside of the temple knew that Koumyou carried two of them.

He understood then that it was very unlikely that he would survive this night. In fact, he intended not to.

It was a common saying that the disciple surpasses his master by stepping over the corpse of the one who came before. It was the vicious reality of the Sanzo priesthood. The sutra could not be passed to the disciple while the master still lived. Koumyou had killed his master to inherit the sutras, just as his master had done before him, and his master before him. Koumyou remembered all too well the guilt and pain that had come from that action and he would give anything to spare Kouryuu that burden. This was an ideal opportunity; for all that it was too soon, but he had faith in Kouryuu. The boy would succeed, out of sheer stubbornness if anything.

Koumyou whirled and grabbed up the two sutras. He thrust one of them into Kouryuu's robe, ignoring the boy's indignant shout of surprise. "These are yours now, Kouryuu," he said with a smile, tucking the other into his sleeve, an obvious hiding place. If his suspicion was right, the thieves would take it and leave, ignorant of the second sutra.

"Master, what--?" Kouryuu started, but was cut off by a splintering crash as the door to the room shattered. A small group of youkai burst into the room, weapons drawn and sneering at what they saw as an old priest and his young pupil.

"Kill him and find the sutra!" one snapped.

One of the youkai rushed forward, slashing with his blade. Koumyou shoved Kouryuu back and dodged, too slow, and the blade opened a thin line of blood on his temple that leaked down the side of his face.

My, Koumyou mused, he was getting lazy in his old age. The youkai attacked again, stabbing at Koumyou's stomach. The monk dodged to the side but was too slow to move again as the stab turned into a slash that caught him in the side, slicing through ribs to pierce a lung. Koumyou flinched and coughed as he felt blood flowing into the organ. He could taste the salt and metal tang of it on his tongue as he jerked back and away from the swinging blade.

Kouryuu tried to rush forward to help. Koumyou caught him with an outstretched arm and pushed the boy back behind him, uttering a quick freezing spell under his breath.

He heard Kouryuu's yelp of surprise when he was suddenly immobilized. He could almost see the fear, confusion and shock on his foster-son's face, but it was necessary.

"Master, please undo the spell!" Kouryuu cried.

There was little time, but Kouryuu needed to understand.

"Do you know why a Sanzo priest wears his sutra on his shoulders?" His tone was casual and he felt detached from everything but the last lesson he would impart upon the boy who was his son in all things but blood. His voice was rasping and soft with the effort of speaking and he could feel the blood gurgling in his chest. "It expresses his will to carry the burden of his karma."

"But master-!" Kouryuu's voice was high with panic, what did any of this matter when his master was in danger?

"Watch, Kouryuu. As long as you don't lose sight of yourself you can accept even that weight." The youkai was charging, sword raised high for the killing blow.

Koumyou felt the faintest traces of amusement. Such an amateur move, if this wasn't so important Koumyou could have easily dealt with these upstarts without breaking a sweat. As it was, he would have to resign himself to being killed by an unskilled butcher.

"Now, forgive me for being so brief, but…" The blade came down, flashing electric blue with the lightning flickering outside. How very dramatic, Koumyou thought.

"The rest is up to you, Genjyo Sanzo."

Koumyou watched the blade descend and then the burning across his chest. The sensation of blood soaking into his robe and over his skin had to be one of the most disconcerting things he had ever felt. The room was going dark and he was barely conscious of falling to his knees.

"Master!" Kouryuu screamed.

Then there was nothing.

Kouryuu collapsed to the floor as the freezing spell ended and could only stare at the unmoving form that was his master, numb with shock and horror. He barely even saw the youkai snatch up with Seiten sutra and flee.

He rose slowly, detached from his own body, eyes riveted on the red staining the wooden floor and his master's too white robes. He knelt and turned the body over. There was a trickle of blood leaking from his master's mouth, and the vicious gaping wound across his chest still bled sluggishly. Kouryuu looked down at his hands and they were red. He was covered with blood and in a distant part of his mind he knew that it was his master's.

Shuuei found him there moments later, with tears leaking down his cheeks and his entire body shaking as numbness gave way to grief and guilt.


End file.
